BK Olson, Travel Blogger

Category: Mediterranean Cruise

  • Walk-about in Rome

    Walk-about in Rome

    As our Med Cruise in Rome continues, we’ll visit Piazza del Popolo to see an obelisk, the Spanish Steps, several fountains, lots of very old buildings and statues before lunch with our tour group.

    Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
    To start at the beginning of this series, visit Mediterranean Cruise.

    Exploring on our Own

    As this fabulous day continued, we had some time to explore on our own before we met up with our tour group again for lunch and then our visits of the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica. This post will only cover the time we spent on our walk-about, leaving lots of time for the “good stuff” in the next couple of posts – as if this wasn’t good enough already!

    The photo above was taken as we entered the Piazza del Popolo (Square of the People) from the north. It shows the twin churches of Santa Maria di Montesanto (left) and Santa Maria dei Miracoli (right), which were commissioned by pope Alexander VII in 1658 and designed by Carlo Rainaldi. Although they were meant to be identical, the plot of ground provided for the Santa Maria in Montesanto (on the left) was smaller. In an effort to give the impression they were identical, Rainaldi created an oval dome for the smaller church and a circular dome for the Santa Maria dei Miracoli.

    Three streets run along either side and in-between the churches, which branch out from the piazza into the city, forming il Tridente (the Trident): the Via del Babuino (left), the Via del Corso (middle) and the Via di Ripetta (right).

    Obelisk Capital of the World

    In the center of the square is a tall, four-sided, monument which is topped by a cross and in the photo looks centered between the churches. This is called an Obelisk and Rome is the obelisk capital of the world. “In 1589, pope Sixtus V had the Egyptian obelisk of Sety I moved from Circus Maximus to the center of the square. The 23.2 meter (73ft) tall obelisk was originally built around 1300 BC and stood at the Sun Temple in Heliopolis. In 10 BC the Roman Emperor Augustus had the obelisk transported all the way to Rome. The obelisk was erected at the Circus Maximus to commemorate the conquest of Egypt.” – READ MORE about the Piazza

    As the name implies, there were a lot of people milling around, but it was quite a wonderful sight. The square is adorned with three marble statues, which seems to be the norm in Rome – two of which are pictured. The fountain on the western end of the square is the Fontana del Nettuno (Neptune Fountain) and shows Neptune and his Tritons. The fountain opposite the Neptune Fountain, is known as the Fontana della dea di Roma (Fountain of the goddess of Rome). The tall figure is the goddess, and two symbolic figures representing the rivers Tiber and Aniene are on either side.

    The Spanish Steps and More!

    Leaving the piazza, we took the left-most street of the Trident (Via del Babuino) to visit Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti (the Spanish Steps), which are a set of 135 steps between the Piazza di Spagna (at the bottom) and the Trinità dei Monti church at the Piazza Trinità dei Monti (at the top). During May, the steps are adorned with potted azaleas and in the summer you may see vendors selling flowers. Eating on the steps is forbidden and they are usually very crowded with people.

    At the bottom of the Spanish Steps is the Fontana della Barcaccia (Fountain of the Ugly Boat), a fresh-water fountain that looks like a half-sunken ship with water overflowing its bows. This shape was chosen because prior to the river walls being built, flooding from the Tiber River often left boats in the square.

    After this stop, we wanted to see the Trevi Fountain, but we couldn’t find it, which was very disappointing, since if you throw a coin into the fountain from your right hand backwards over your left shoulder, you will definitely return to Rome. The Municipality of Rome collects the coins at the end of each day to prevent theft, and a fund was created to finance a special supermarket that serves the poor in Rome with the help of the Italian Red Cross. Here is some more info.

    Time for a Break

    We had a great stroll through the city and saw lots of interesting buildings before meeting up with our tour group for lunch. We had pasta and yes – wine! Not sure it was a good idea to have wine before heading to the Vatican, but when in Rome…

    Next up: The Vatican State

    Happy trails,
    Barb

  • Stone Pine Trees

    Stone Pine Trees

    As our Med Cruise continues in Rome, ya gotta love these great trees! I don’t usually do a whole post about trees, but this seemed like a great time to start. The stone pine tree changes in shape and size as it matures, much like a lot of people!

    Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
    To start at the beginning of this series, visit Mediterranean Cruise.

    Just an Amazing Tree!

    The stone pine, with the botanical name Pinus pinea, is also called the Italian stone pine, umbrella pine and parasol pine, and is native to the Mediterranean region, growing in Southern Europe and Syria. In Italy, the stone pine has been a beautiful landscape element since the Italian Renaissance garden period, planted in gardens and parks around the world.

    The stone pine is a coniferous evergreen tree that can exceed 82 ft in height. In youth it is a bushy globe, in mid-age an umbrella canopy on a thick trunk and, in maturity a broad and flat crown over 26 ft in width. The bark is thick, red-brown and deeply fissured into broad vertical plates.

    Stone pines have been used and cultivated for their edible pine nuts since prehistoric times. Small specimens are used for Bonsai, and also grown in large pots and planters. The year-old seedlings are seasonally available as 7.9–11.8 in. tall table-top Christmas trees.  – READ MORE

    Be sure to click on the photos to see captions.

    A Beautiful Landscape Element

    The stone pine, with the botanical name Pinus pinea, is also called the Italian stone pine, umbrella pine and parasol pine, and is native to the Mediterranean region, growing in Southern Europe and Syria. In Italy, the stone pine has been a beautiful landscape element since the Italian Renaissance garden period, planted in gardens and parks around the world.

    The stone pine is a coniferous evergreen tree that can exceed 82 ft in height. In youth it is a bushy globe, in mid-age an umbrella canopy on a thick trunk and, in maturity a broad and flat crown over 26 ft in width. The bark is thick, red-brown and deeply fissured into broad vertical plates.

    Many Uses

    Stone pines have been used and cultivated for their edible pine nuts since prehistoric times. Small specimens are used for Bonsai, and also grown in large pots and planters. The year-old seedlings are seasonally available as 7.9–11.8 in. tall table-top Christmas trees.  – READ MORE

    While I was searching for my own picture of the mid-age Stone Pine instead of using wikipedia’s, I ran across the photo up top that I forgot all about – the Temple of Hercules Victor. This temple is one of two small temples in the The Forum Boarium, and are among Rome’s best preserved religious structures. This temple was built in honor of the god Hercules.

    Right next to the temple is The Fontana dei Tritoni (Fountain of the Tritons). For more information on the fountain, click here.

    “The temple is best described as a colonnade of twenty Corinthian-style columns arranged in a circle around an inner chamber. Inside was a statue of the god Hercules, as old as the temple itself, created by the renowned Greek sculptor Scopas the Younger. The temple is often incorrectly identified as the Temple of Vesta, after the circular temple at the Roman Forum. The temple of Hercules is remarkably well preserved, especially for what is considered the oldest marble temple in Rome.” – READ MORE

    Next up: A Walk-about in Rome

    Happy trails,
    Barb

  • When in Rome…

    When in Rome…

    Our Med Cruise continues with another early day. We docked in Civitavecchia, Italy and spent twelve of our thirteen hours on one excursion. Lots of drive-bys and tours of the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, made this a day to remember!

    Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
    To start at the beginning of this series, visit Mediterranean Cruise.

    Porto di Civitavecchia

    Another early day today, we docked in Civitavecchia, Italy – the only port more exciting to us than Pisa. We were in port from 7am-8pm and we spent twelve of those thirteen hours on one excursion. At $185 each, this was our most expensive excursion, but we decided from the start that we wanted to maximize our time in Rome, skip the lines and our tour had to include the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica.

    Long Bus Ride, but Worth It

    The bus ride from the Porto di Civitavecchia into Rome was about 90 minutes, with the round trip using up three of our twelve hours. Once we arrived in Rome, our guide gave us a tour as we passed through the city and by many very important and beautiful buildings.

    I apologize for some of the shaky shots, but the photos in the beginning are taken through the tour bus windows, and that’s what happens when you only have twelve, or should I say nine hours to see a city as wonderful as this. Somewhere down the road I would love to spend 4-5 days here to see some of the things we just whizzed by this time.

    This post will cover some of the fabulous buildings we passed by and my next post will concentrate more on the buildings we were able to enter and see up close. I have done my best to put names with most pictures, but the others are too pretty to exclude just because I don’t know what they are. Please note I will not be offended if you are reading this, or any of my blog posts for that matter, and you see an error or an omission. Just sign in and post a comment and I will get it fixed right away.

    Drive-bys

    We drove by Pyramid of Caius Cestius, which was covered in scaffolding. My photo was blurry and the scaffolding hideous, but the story is interesting. Since anything Egyptian had become fashionable after Rome conquered Egypt in 30 BC, the rich magistrate Caius Cestius Epulonius modeled his tomb after the Egyptian pyramids. Only the three Egyptian pyramids of Gizeh are taller than this Roman imitation. For some good pictures and the whole story, click here.

    It took a while for Rome to put up a Monument to Giuseppe Mazzini, since he was loved, but also hated. “Giuseppe Mazzini was a Genoese propagandist and revolutionary, founder of the secret revolutionary society Young Italy (1832), and a champion of the movement for Italian unity known as the Risorgimento. An uncompromising republican, he refused to participate in the parliamentary government that was established under the monarchy of the House of Savoy when Italy became unified and independent (1861).”  – READ MORE

    San Nicola in Carcere is a fine-looking church, rebuilt in 1599 with a new façade. The medieval campanile (bell tower), originally a fortified tower, was left as is. Stairs under the altar lead to the crypt and to the base of the former Roman temples.

    Located at Piazza Venezia, the central hub of Rome, the Altare della Patria – also known as the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II or “Il Vittoriano” is a monument built to honor Victor Emmanuel, the first king of a unified Italy. Climb the stairs to the top of the monument for great views of Rome. Be sure to click on the photos to view the captions.

    More History

    Capitoline Hill is the smallest of the “Seven Hills of Rome” but is considered to have been the most sacred. It was the citadel (fortress that commands the city) of the earliest Romans. There is lots of great information about Capitoline Hill here.

    The Arch of Constantine is a triumphal arch in Rome, situated between the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill. It was built by the Roman Senate to memorialize a victory at the Battle of Milvian Bridge on October 28, 312. Almost 70-feet high, this Roman structure is made up of three arches and is decorated with figures and battle scenes. Read more here.

    Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore is the largest Catholic Marian church in Rome (hence the Maggiore – Major – in its name). It is sometimes referred to as Our Lady of the Snows. Legend has it that during the reign of Pope Liberius in the mid 300s, a Roman aristocrat and his wife had no children, so they vowed to donate their possessions to the Virgin Mary. They prayed that she send them a sign so they would know how to proceed with their promise. One night in the middle of the summer, snow fell on the summit of the Esquiline Hill. The couple built a basilica in honor of Mary on that very spot.

    The Colosseum

    Probably the most well known landmark in Italy, is The Colosseum. Built in 80 AD, this elliptical amphitheatre is built of concrete and stone and is the largest amphitheatre in the world. The Colosseum is considered one of the greatest works of architecture and engineering and was used for contests between gladiators, executions and other public happenings.

    “The elliptical building is immense, measuring approximately 600 ft x 500 ft and reaching a height of more than 160 ft. The magnificent structure was clad in marble and 160 larger-than-life statues graced the arches on the upper floors. The Colosseum could accommodate some 55,000 spectators who entered the building through no less than 80 entrances.

    Above the ground are four stories, the upper story contained seating for lower classes and women. The lowest story was preserved for prominent citizens. Below the ground were rooms with mechanical devices and cages containing wild animals. The cages could be hoisted, enabling the animals to appear in the middle of the arena.” – READ MORE

    When in Rome… take hundreds of pictures!

    Porta del Popolo is one of many gates of the Aurelian Walls. I don’t have any good pictures of the Aurelian Wall, but some great information can be found here.

    Well, that’s all I’m going to jam-pack into this post. There is so much to see, it’s just amazing, so I think there may be at least two more posts about Rome.

    Next up: Stone Pine Trees

    Happy trails,
    Barb

  • Pisa, Italy

    Pisa, Italy

    Our port in Livorno, Italy was met with much anticipation. I couldn’t wait to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. But what we saw was SO much more. With most churches in Italy jam-packed inside the city, it was very refreshing to see this “complex” located on so much green grass, almost out of town.

    Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
    To start at the beginning of this series, visit Mediterranean Cruise.

    Early Excursion

    Today was an early day, so instead of hanging out on the balcony checking out the view coming into port, Jim was getting ready for our excursion. The photos above were taken on our way out.

    Our port in Livorno, Italy was met with much anticipation. I couldn’t wait to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Who could go to Italy and not see THAT! But what we saw was SO much more. With most churches in Italy jam-packed inside the city, it was very refreshing to see this “complex” located on so much green grass, almost out of town.

    The Square of Miracles

    Since I hadn’t brushed up on my history for quite some time, I had no idea that the Piazza del Duomo, also known as Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles) was home to not only the infamous Leaning Tower, but also a spectacular Duomo (Cathedral), Baptistry and the Campo Santo (the monumental cemetery).

    The structures symbolize the three stages of life – the Baptistry representing birth, the Cathedral representing life and we all know what the cemetery represents. Although we were not able to go into the Tower on our tour, standing outside was certainly a thrill!

    Leave it to the Pros

    Since I had no pictures of the entire campus that didn’t have people’s heads covering up the lower half, I summoned the talents of this gentleman: Patrick Landy known as FSU Guy at en.wikipedia. A few people dot his picture, but they are not as distracting. There are so many gorgeous pictures of this place if you google “pisa, italy” you’ll see hundreds of excellent shots, from all angles and all sides.

    I think I was in awe of the entire place, which surprises me that I don’t have some better pictures, but in my defense I hadn’t even started this blog at that time, so I was unaware I’d have an audience to speak to and show my photographs.

    Above: View of the Piazza del Duomo, also known as Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles), showing the East entrance into the cathedral. Photo by Patrick Landy known as FSU Guy at en.wikipedia

    The Bapistry

    Completed in 1363 in Romanesque and Gothic designs, the Baptistry is built on the same unstable sand as the Tower and cathedral, so it leans a little too. We were able to enter the Baptistry as part of our tour. It was quite beautiful inside and there are a lot more great pictures of its awesome interior here.

    During our tour, a man sang several long notes to demonstrate the amazing acoustics and they say that choir concerts held inside can be heard from miles away. I wish I would have taken a video of the demonstration, because you would swear there was more than one person singing at the time. There was a lot of scaffolding on the back, so some rejuvenation was taking place.

    “Galileo is believed to have formulated his theory about the movement of a pendulum by watching the swinging of the incense lamp (not the present one) hanging from the ceiling of the nave. That lamp, smaller and simpler than the present one, it is now kept in the Camposanto, in the Aulla chapel.”  – READ MORE

    The Exterior

    We were not allowed inside the Cathedral, because there was a service of some kind. Named Santa Maria Assunta (St. Mary of the Assumption), the exterior is fabulous grey marble and white stone with inlays of colored marble and massive bronze main doors that are engraved with various stories from the bible. In the photo below, the doors are open, so you can’t really tell, but check google, you’ll see them!

    This Cathedral is one of the finest of the Romanesque period and resembles other early basilican churches, with long rows of columns connected by arches. What a fabulous structure. In the map above, you will notice its cross-shaped design. If you’d like to see a 360° view of the entire Square of Miracles, click here. The pictures below the map show the West entrance to the Cathedral.

    The Monumental Cemetery was constructed in 1278 to house sacred dirt during the Crusades. It then became the burial place of the Pisan upper class. Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the Cemetery, but if you’re interested here is a link to some great ones and more history.

    Considered a sacred area by the Catholic Church and framed by medieval walls, the complex is maintained by the Opera (fabrica ecclesiae) della Primaziale Pisana, an old non-profit foundation that has operated since the building of the Cathedral in 1063.

    How About a Nice Class of Wine?

    We finished our tour with a 30 minute drive, passing medieval villages and green valleys covered in vineyards and olive trees, into the wine area of Montecarlo di Lucca (Pinocchio’s birthplace!). We visited a beautiful estate and saw vines where some of the best Tuscan wine is produced. There was a short talk about wine production and of course we had to have some samples, and then a few more, along with some salami, cheese and bread. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day. Can I have another glass of that wine?

    For more history and great pictures of Pisa, click here.

    Pisa, Italy – A Must See!

    Next up: When in Rome…

    Happy trails,
    Barb

  • Herculaneum

    Herculaneum

    As our Med Cruise continues in Naples, it’s time for another excursion. Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in the year 79. Although the same eruption devastated Herculaneum – instead of hot lava – the town was engulfed in a river of mud flowing down from its slopes, preserving it for centuries.

    Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
    To start at the beginning of this series, visit Mediterranean Cruise.

    Above: With early excavations finding very few human remains, it was long thought that most inhabitants managed to escape. But in 1981, when excavations reached these arches (perhaps boat houses), several hundred skeletons were found on the beach and in the 12 arches facing the sea.
    Above: With Mt. Vesuvius looming in the background, the first photo shows some excavation in front. It is quite possible there is more of the destroyed city beneath the new homes that are built behind it.

    “Located in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, Herculaneum was an ancient Roman town destroyed by volcanic pyroclastic flows in 79 AD. Its ruins are located in the commune of Ercolano, Campania, Italy.

    It is most famous for having been lost, along with Pompeii, Stabiae, Oplontis and the neighborhood of Monte Bursaccio in Boscoreale, in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 that buried it in superheated pyroclastic material. It is also famous as one of the few ancient cities that can now be seen in almost its original splendor; unlike Pompeii, it was mainly affected by pyroclastic flows, thus preserving the wooden objects such as roof tops, building beams, beds, doors, and even food.

    Moreover, Herculaneum was a wealthier town than Pompeii, possessing an extraordinary density of fine houses, and far more lavish use of colored marble cladding. The discovery in recent years of some 300 skeletons along the sea shore came as a surprise, as it had been assumed that the town had been evacuated.”  – READ MORE

    Let the Excavation Begin

    “Major excavation began in 1738. A publication called Le Antichità di Ercolano (“The Antiquities of Herculaneum”) was created and had an amazing effect on European architecture in the later 18th century. Motifs from Herculaneum began to appear on stylish furnishings, from decorative wall-paintings and tripod tables to perfume burners and teacups.

    Excavation ceased once the nearby town of Pompeii was discovered, which was significantly easier to excavate because of the thinner layer of debris covering the site (four meters as opposed to Herculaneum’s twenty meters). In the twentieth century, excavation once again resumed in the town. However, many public and private buildings, including the forum complex, are yet to be excavated.” – READ MORE

    If you’d like more detail about the rooms at Herculaneum click here.

    Next time!

    It was extremely hot the day we were here. I’ve been told a better time to visit Italy would be in the fall. Next time…

    Next up: Florence/Pisa

    Happy trails,
    Barb